Storage battery.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STANISLAW LASZOZYN SKI, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO TITUS VONMICHALOWSKI, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

STO RAG E BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,201, dated November25, 1902.

Application filed February 23, 1901. Serial No. 48,611. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STANIsLAW LAszozYn- SKI, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, residing at Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage Batteries;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to storage batteries; and it consists ofthe details of construction hereinafter set forth, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

' Of all metallic oXids hitherto employed as depolarizers forzinc-alkali storage batteries nickel oxid (Ni,O is, as is well known,the most suitable. In the first place, it is absozo lutely insoluble inalkali. In the second place, as an endothermic body it renders possiblethe complete conversion of the heat generated by oxidation of the zincinto electric power, and, finally, when being opposed to a 2 5 zincplate in hydrates of potassium or sodium it supplies a tension of 1.85volts, which is not much less than the tension of a lead accumulator. Afurther advantage is that it is effective in discharging Very powerfuland constant currents when the storage battery is in action.

The ordinary form of an alkaline storage battery is such that the zincforms the soluble anodei. e., it dissolves in the electro- 5 lyte at thedischarge of the battery and separates out again when the battery ischarged. This arrangement has, however, some disadvantages. Thus, forinstance, the electrolyte at the bottom of the receptacle will be- 0come more concentrated and the whole will have to be stirred up fromtime to time. Again, it"the battery is severely overcharged some of thezinc separates out in a spongy form if the electrolyte does not containmuch 5 zinc. Finally, in the case of normal charging it is not possibleto employ high densities of the charging-current without the danger ofdeterioration of the zinc-metal deposit. For these reasons it isadvantageous to give the zinc a form in which it can readily oxidize,but cannot dissolve-4. 6., a form in which it forms an insolubleelectrode. This is attained by pasting a frame or grate or any suitableform of electrodes with zinc sponge, zinc oxid, or zinc combinations inthe same manner as with lead-sponge plates. Instead of employing zincplate for the carrierframe it may be made of amalgamated iron or nickelplate or other suitable plate. A number of electrodes thus formed aremounted to alternate with nickel-oxid plates, being separated from thelatter by a sheet of parchment-paper only, the electrode-block thusformed being then placed in a receptacle exactly large enough to containit. As electroo5 lyte a solution of potassium or sodium aluminates, inwhich the zinc oxid is insoluble, should be filled into the receptacle.Since the electrodes lie very close together, there will be 1 room forbut comparatively little liquid in 7o fact, only such quantity as willbe absorbed by the porous plates and the parchment-paper. Sufficientoxygen is always present for the oxidizing process, because it is alwaysfurnished by the one electrode when absorbed by the other. In everymoment of charging or discharging the total amount of it should notvary. The sponge-zinc will be prevented from falling out by theparchment-paper lying close to it at both sides. The oxidation andreduction of the zinc-sponge plate will take place evenly and regularly.In this arrangement the zinc represents an insoluble anode. The batterymay be charged with stronger currents than it Was possible to employ inconnection with soluble anodes, because it is not necessary to payattention'to the well-looking of the zinc deposit at the positiveelectrode. Overcharging is quite uninjurious. A great advantage isattained in the saving of electrolyte and the conse quent reduction ofthe weight and volume of the accumulator. Instead of the dilutedpotassium or sodium hydrates such salts of alkali metals may be employedthe anions 5 of which do not have a dissolving effect on the nickel-oxidplates-for instance, the aluminates, carbonates, and bicarbonates of thealkalimetals. Theemployment,forinstance, of carbonate of potassium hasthe great ad- Ico vantage that the battery will then work with anentirely neutral electrolyte, and there will alkali hydrate.

consequently be no necessity for protecting the battery against thecarbonic acid of the air.- On the other hand, the charging tension willbe much higher owing to the free carbonic acid present at the anode. thebattery is discharged, the tension will be the same as in the case of analkali-metal hydrate. The output of energy is therefore somewhat lessthan with the employment of If, however, bicarbonate is added to thecarbonate solution, the high tension will remain constant at thedischarge also, since the bicarbonate acts as free acid. Thus thetensioncorresponding with the thermic moments will average about 0.3 percent. volt higher than is the case with caustic alkali. The tension willbe 2.15 volts for an open circuit and sinks to 2.10 to 1.9 volts whendischarging. In this form the combination of zinc and nickel oxid willnot work as a pure oxidation battery, but as an accumulator,'in that thebicarbonate takes the place of the free carbonic acid.

I claim as my invention 1. Astorage batteryhavinga negative electrode ofnickel oxid, a sponge-zinc plate as positive electrode and aselectrolyte a solution of potassium or sodium aluminates, which are ableto conduct the current, but not to dissolve the sponge-zinc electrodesafter discharging.

. 2. In a storage battery having a negative electrode of nickel oxid anda sponge-zinc plate as positive electrode an electrolyte consisting of asolution of aluminates.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

STANISLAW LASZCZYNSKI.

Witnesses HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

